


lost my way on the other side

by gaysanada



Series: Orville Peck Inspired Fics [1]
Category: All Elite Wrestling
Genre: M/M, almost an au. but think of it more like its set before they met For Real in 2014, them boys bein gay again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:54:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26330713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaysanada/pseuds/gaysanada
Summary: (almost an au? think of it more like it's set prior to them meeting in 2014 though)sometimes in life, you meet a person who can turn your life from grey to a colorful mess. the issue is that eventually the mess has to be cleaned up.titled from winds change by orville peck
Relationships: Trent Barreta/Chuck Taylor
Series: Orville Peck Inspired Fics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1913326
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	lost my way on the other side

Trent stepped out of the seedy Vegas hotel room, a cigarette already in his mouth as the door shut behind him and he made his way to his car. He already couldn’t remember the name of the man he’d just spent the past hour with, and he didn’t really _care_. Names and people didn’t mean much to him anymore, he’d heard and seen so many. All that mattered was moving on and not getting too attached.

He climbed in his car and started it up, the window seemingly permanently rolled down a bit to let out of the puffs of smoke from his bad habit. The car had a lingering smell of cigarettes, and several lighters sitting in the cupholder. 

Trent took out his phone and looked up directions out of Vegas and towards Salt Lake City, the next town he was due to be in. As he pulled out of the parking lot, he caught a faint glimpse of the man he’d left, stepping into his own car, heading off in his own direction, ready to be lost to the night winds.

He drove along Interstate-15, nothing but him and the occasional other lone drivers out this late at night. It wasn’t until about an hour later, as he was about to cross over the Nevada-Arizona state border that he pulled over to get some road snacks and cigarettes. A little gas station in a tiny little city, Mesquite, which looked to be mostly bare desert and golf ranges. He saw a few other guys, most of whom looked to be truckers, walking through. He gave them polite nods, and they were returned, but other than that he was left alone. Completely _alone_ , and _content_ with it.

He didn’t stop again until he got to his hotel. The 6-hour drive had seemed like nothing to him, the radio playing whatever music didn’t make his head hurt and the interstate taking him exactly where he needed to be. 

All the days and nights spent driving, it all started to bleed together. The radio playing _this_ , the weather being like _that_ , another pack of cigs gone, another man or two enjoyed and forgotten. His life felt empty, and he didn’t care enough to change it. The towns never gave him much to enjoy until nightfall, and the only people he could find comfort in were just as empty as him. The joy was minor and had that underlying feeling of darkness. The comfort was quick and fleeting.

He checked into a hotel and slept most of his day away. When it came time, he worked his match, got his check, and left. Back at his hotel, he showered off and looked up a gay bar.

He stepped in and found it enough to his taste. Not overly loud, but not quiet enough that he’d feel like too much attention was on him. He was only there to find a quick bit of happiness, nothing _important_. And he found it fast enough, spotting a man who had that same look of emptiness and uncaring on his face as Trent did. 

Trent recognized him a bit, another wrestler, but not one that he could place as far as the name went. He was about the same height, a slightly different build, and seemed to be unassuming enough that Trent could spend a night with him and _move on completely_.

The man noticed Trent quickly as well, recognizing him the same way Trent did. He sat next to him at the bar, one seat over so as not to be too forward. All he said was, “ _Drink?_ ” to which Trent responded with a nod. It was a casual dance that they both didn’t care too much about.

The night progressed rather predictably from there, leaving them in Trent’s little hotel room, clothes were thrown about, and a temporary happiness filling both their hearts. Trent had learned the man's name was Chuck, but it was already beginning to slip from his mind, as all the others had.

But, there was a single thread in Trent’s mind that didn’t seem to want to let go of Chuck’s name. Like it was tangled around his face and his name and refused to unwind. He hated that feeling. The feeling of his mind and his heart fighting. He knew in his mind that this man was like the others, _unimportant and replaceable_. But his heart said that he was _different and special_.

He didn’t _want different_ , and he didn’t _need special_. He liked unimportant and replaceable men. They were easier to say goodbye to.

He sat up in the bed, pushing his hair out of his face, trying to take Chuck’s name with it. Chuck didn’t seem to notice Trent’s movements, he was too busy staring at the ceiling. 

Trent took a cigarette out of the carton for himself and handed one to Chuck, who took it without moving his eyes from their fixated spot. Trent lit up and laid back down, passing the lighter to Chuck before looking up at the ceiling as well, mostly to see what was so fascinating.

“Oh,” he said softly. There was a little spider crawling around above them.

“This place is _super_ gross, man,” Chuck mumbled through his exhale, passing the lighter back.

Trent just nodded and took a long drag, letting his eyes travel over Chuck’s face and what of his body was exposed through the blanket.

“I’ll leave, don’t worry, just let me finish here,” Chuck mumbled again.

Trent shrugged, deciding to let his heart win out this battle _for now_ , “I don’t really care. But if you stay you gotta share the blanket, this place has no heating.”

Neither of them spoke the rest of the night, and Chuck ended up staying. It was different for Trent to spend the night with anyone, truly. He’d either always leave or find a semi-polite way to kick them out if they didn’t leave on their own. But, again, Chuck was _different_.

The next morning was odd for him. He woke up to find a man in his bed, which hadn’t happened in a while. He shook it off once he remembered _why_ there was a man in his bed, and got up to shower. He rinsed the nights' sins off his body, hoping to wash the feelings starting to churn themselves up in his stomach out with them. _It didn’t work._

He got out of the shower and got dressed, only to find that Chuck was gone. In his place was a scrap of paper with a phone number on it, and the note ‘ _you’re pretty_.’ Normally Trent would throw out the numbers men gave him, but this one worked his way in just enough that he kept it. He typed it into his phone, making sure to make note of just _who_ Chuck was, calling him ‘ _Chuck Salt Lake_ ’ before moving on.

He decided to grab some breakfast at a little McDonald’s near his hotel and found that Chuck was there as well. They made eye contact, and both looked a bit taken aback by the other's presence. It wasn’t until Chuck made the brave move of stepping up to the table Trent was sitting at that they truly acknowledged each other though.

Trent gestured to the seat across from him, not speaking as Chuck took the hint and sat down. They ate in silence, occasionally looking up at each other for a moment before continuing in their breakfast. It wasn’t awkward, though. It was strangely comfortable, for both of them. The underlying feeling of darkness didn’t ruin the minor feeling of joy Trent felt each time his eyes met Chuck’s, and the comfort that filled his body never seemed to leave. He wasn’t sure if he liked the feeling.

“So, where ya heading to next?” Chuck finally broke the silence, his voice quiet against the morning McDonalds’ crowd of children and their angry mothers.

“Boise, you?” Trent said after a moment, unsure if he wanted to share. He wasn’t due in Boise for another day.

“Denver,” was the only response Chuck gave.

Trent paused, a battle filling his soul as he debated his next words heavily, “When?”

Chuck shrugged, “Day or so, why?”

“I don’t have to be in Boise for a few days,” Trent hoped Chuck would understand without him having to say what he truly meant. And the look on Chuck’s face seemed to say that he did.

They finished eating in silence as they both thought of what they would fill their time with. _Sex_ , sure, but there were feelings here now too, and they both wanted to enjoy them while they had the chance.

“What d’ya wanna do then?” Chuck asked as they both finished.

They spoke about it for a few minutes, neither going too in-depth on their desires. Their words were ultimately unnecessary, as they both already knew what they wanted was time together. 

They both drove back to Trent’s hotel, and Trent left his car there and got in Chuck’s. They drove out, leaving town and heading to some little bay along the lake. It only took about an hour to get there, and they were mostly alone. 

They sat out on some ratty old blanket Chuck had in his car and stared at the water. Neither of them had the words to describe the way they felt, but it was clear that they felt the same way. Happy, truly, for the first time in a while, but saddened by the fact that they’d part ways not too long from now. It was rare for either of them to meet someone who made them feel fulfilled, and neither of them wanted to give up that feeling and go back to the way their lives were.

Words were exchanged, jokes were made, and they both finally let themselves bask in the joy radiating from the other. They seemed to forget that time had meaning as they spent the entire day driving around the lake, stealing kisses, and holding hands without fear of accidentally feeling.

It wasn’t until the day had been spent, and the sun began to set against the lake that their feelings grew dark. The warm day turned into a chilly evening, and they found themselves cuddled up in the backseat of Chuck’s car, both all too aware of the fact that they’d be leaving each other soon. They could both feel the creeping gloom and remorse fill the air around them as the stars began to shine.

“We should get you back to your hotel,” the sadness in Chuck’s voice was clear as he held Trent closer, making no move to get in the driver's seat and get Trent back.

“Yeah,” was all Trent could respond with, settling in closer to Chuck. He knew the moment he and Chuck parted ways, he’d be filled with that oh-so-familiar darkness that clouded his heart and his head, leaving him living in a haze of long car rides and meaningless nights. He didn’t want to go back to that life. _Not yet._

They grew silent as darkness filled the sky, lost in each other's arms, neither ready or quite willing to go back to their daily lives just yet. The warmth of each other filled them with enough hope that this could continue, if only until morning.

It was Trent who woke first, to quiet bird song and blinding sunlight coming through the car windows like an unrelenting mother who didn’t want you to be late for school. It was harsh, yet left a faint aura of care and comfort. 

He carefully sat up, making sure not to wake Chuck. He looked too peaceful to be forced into this reality just yet.

He got out of the car and stretched, his body aching from sleeping in such a strange and small space. The sunlight off the lake looked beautiful and _almost_ managed to carry the thought of his true life out of his head once again. He wasn’t sure how long he spent basking in it, but the vision was torn away from him when he heard Chuck get out of the car and walk up next to him.

“It’s gonna be, like, an 8 or 9-hour drive to Denver from here,” Trent’s voice was just barely above a whisper, and he saw Chuck nod slowly out of the corner of his eye.

After a few moments, they both walked back to the car, and silently drove to Trent’s hotel. With each minute that passed and each mile closer they drew, the weight on Trent’s chest pressed _further_ and _further_ down on him. He’d never felt quite like this before.

Before he knew it, before he was even remotely ready, they found themselves sitting outside the building, pulled right up next to Trent’s own car.

“Maybe we’ll see each other again sometime,” Chuck muttered, one hand on the wheel and the other tangled tightly with Trent’s.

Trent nodded, choking out a faint, “ _Maybe_ ,” before pulling his hand from Chuck’s grasp and slowly climbing out of the car.

Chuck didn’t wait long after the door shut to pull away, leaving Trent standing alone outside of his car, his heart heavy with what he could only describe as _grief_ , as he watched the only person he’d ever truly connected with drive out of his life. Is this how all the guys he’d left behind felt? _Maybe_.

He quickly checked out of his hotel and got in his car and lit up a cigarette, trying to enjoy his first moment alone in over a day. He longed for the content loneliness he’d felt in Mesquite as he filled up on junk food and reds. 

He shook his head and pulled out of the lot, finding his way back to I-15 and trying to keep an eye out for the road signs to guide him to Boise.

He stopped in Twin Falls, a little over halfway there, mostly to stretch his legs out. He checked his phone, reading a little text from his mother and some other insignificant notifications from social media. And then he remembered the contact he’d put in there, never intending to use it. ‘ _Chuck Salt Lake_ ,’ shone on the phone screen almost as bright as the sun had been on the lake.

As he pressed ‘ _delete_ ,’ he felt a new kind of loneliness fill his chest. It was _empty and hopeless_.


End file.
